Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-09
SUNDAY. ......O OCTOBER 0, 1887
Mahone's Ally-His Outrages,


OF course we may repeat to-day what
we have had occasion to say so often
heretofore-that Judge BONDS decl-
sions Of yesterday surprised nobody.
He has shown the most reckless disre-
gard of the rights of the State of Vir-
Rinia, and has undertaken TO do what
thirty years ago all the Justices of the
Supreme Court of the United States
would not have attempted to do. We
refer the reader TO our local columns
for particulars.
The people of Virginia are not help
less. They will maintain their rights
TO the last. There are many remedies
for their wrongs which they have not
yet tried. One thing they ought to do,
and that is elect this fall a Legislature
unanimously Democratic. The Re-
publicans ought to be punished for
their course. ARTHUR turned over all
the Federal offices in Virginia to en-
able MALONE to defeat the Democrats.
The Republican United States Supreme
Court declared the coupon-killer ca
valid enactment" when it was Ma
HOMES law. Since then it has sustained
and encouraged BOND in declaring all
similar Democratic measures unconsti
tutional.
This way lies reputation. If pet
ty Judge had six months ago ordered
the State of Virginia to jail in the per-
son OF her Attorney-Gencral and her
attorneys for the Commonwealth, the
Roanoke convention could hardly have
been induced to declare in favor of
paying even as much of the State debt
as the RIDDLEBERGER act provides for
paying. The people know that the
Federal Constitution prohibits their
State from being sued as che
has been sued, and they can
not possibly have any respect for
any justice or judge who wilfully and
deliberately renders judgment against
the State of Virginia, and then claims
that it was not rendered against the
State but against individual persons.
tits the State that BOND is trying to
bankrupt. 1t is the State that is by
him compelled to receive coupons for
taxes. 1t is the State that has all the
damages to pay. 1t is the State that is
sued in utter contempt of the follow
ing constitutional provision
"The judicial power of the United
States shall not he construed to extend
to any suit i'll law or equity commenced
or prosecuted against one OF the United
Stst, by citizens of another State or
by citizens or subjects of any foreign
State.
1T is preposterous for BoND to be
tryirg to cid the bondholders. He
cannot do it. The State of Virginia
would bankrupt hers,lfif she were to try
to pay her entire debt 1t is for her, aud
for nobody else, to decide how much Of
il she is able and willing to pay. she
cannot be coerced into paying debt
that she does not consider herself able
to pay. Why, it would be better to
levy no taxes at all than to levy taxes
oil of which were to be paid over to the
grasping bondholders.
Let us have no talk about "resisting
the United States Government" There
is no such question involved. The
Federal courts twist the language of
the Constitution from its plain meaning
in order to gain jurisdiction in cases
where they really have none. Surely
Virginia has a much better right to re-
sort TO all the measures that her ablest
lawyers can devise to save her people
from grinding poverty and taxes so
high that they would be intolerable.
This she and they will do. The bond
holders are only Fastening the day Of
downright reputation of the bonds
themselves.